The Migration Institute of Australia has voiced concerns about reports of alleged visa scams and is warning applicants to beware of people offering visas for large sums of money.

The institute says that for anyone considering applying for an Australian visa that the very best defence against becoming the victim of fraud, is using a Registered Migration Agent (RMA.)

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Visa applicants should use a Registered Migration Agent and member of the MIA, the main body for Australian migration advice professionals​

The MIA, the main body for Australian migration advice professionals, has a member's register where applicants can check that any one body they are using is bone fide.

MIA member agents are required to uphold the mandatory Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) Code of Conduct as well as the MIA Members' Code of Ethics and Practice.

If people seek migration assistance from those who say they have connections with immigration and pay huge sums of money to seek a visa, then they should be very cautious.

'The old maxim applies: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is, so people should always seek professional migration advice from a registered MIA member,' said Angela Chan, national president of the MIA.

'There are more than 100 different visa subclasses, which can prove extremely difficult to navigate. If consumers do not use a registered migration agent, then they may receive poor advice and will have difficulty in seeking redress when things go wrong,' she explained.

She pointed out that all MIA Members undertake a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training programme annually. This is designed to promote a standard of excellence in education and services in the migration profession.

The MIA would like to see organisations providing immigration advice overseas to be required to be registered too.

'It is illegal to give migration advice unless you are registered in Australia and the MIA strongly urges the Australian government to extend this requirement to people providing Australian immigration advice overseas,' said Chan.

She explained that this would bring Australia into line with other countries such as New Zealand, Canada, the USA and the UK.